Lasting-machine



LASTING MAGHlNB.

No. 892,198. Patented N'qv'. 8,; 1888.

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To all whom it may concern:

,UNITED STATES MARTIN R. ETHRIDGE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

LASTING-IVIACHINE.

SPECIPICATIQN forming-part of Letters Patent No. 392,193, dated November 6, 1888. Application filed November 30, 1885. Serial No. 184,258. (No model.)

Be it known that I, MARTIN B. ETHRIDGE, of Lynn, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lasting-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part hereof, in which' Figure 1 is a plan with the crimping-jaws removed on the right-hand side. Fig. 2 is a section on line x x of Fig. 4.. Fig. 3 is a section on line y y of Fig. l. Fig. 4 is an elevation. Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the crimping-jaWs. Fig. 6 shows the jaw B or Bz and its rubber spring. Fig. 7 is a section across the toe; Fig. 8, a cross shank; Fig. 9, a crossy heel shoe clamped and crimped-that is, both jaws closed upon the shoe and last.

My invention relates to machines of that class described in my patent, No.' 269, 841, dated January 2, 1S83, and consists in certain improvements, which will be clear from the following description and claims.

The crimping-jawsA A A2 have each a dovetail groove across its lower face, and this groove fits upon a dovetail rib formed upon the carriers e e a?, which are fast upon the levers A". The purpose of the dovetail grooves and ribs is that the crimping jaws may be readily removed and replaced by others to suit a different style of shoe, or to change from rights to lefts. The jaws A A A2 are held in place by the rod a, which enters a groove, et, across the ribs on the carriers a e c2 and the groove a Lacross the lower face of the jaws A A A2, these grooves fa5 being coincident when the crimping-jaws are in place in the carriers. This feature of my invention consists in the combination oi the crimping-jaws with their levers or carriages by means of intermediate carriers, instead of connecting them directly with their levers, as in my for-mer patent, its main advantage being that the crimping-jaws are far more readily changed than in my former machine.

The clamping-jaws B B Bzhave each a dove,-

' tail rib across it, to secure it to its carrier b b Z, so that the clamping-jaws can be readily removed and replaced. The carriers b b b2 are supported by the main carriers a e e?, by means 5o of the rods b3, and are held in proper relation to the carriers a c a2 by the springs b* and rods bf. This feature of my invention consists inthe combination of the clamping-jaws with carriers, instead of directly with the crimpingjaws, as in my former patent.

The toe and heel clamps B B2 are each composed ofthe parts 1 and 2, (see Figs. 7 and 9. 1 and 6, the latter being a detail to show this feature) connected so that the part l may move slightly endwise in the part 2 against a spring, 3, in order to suit slight variations in the length of the shoe to be lasted-for example, variations in the length of lasts intended to be of the same length and variation in length caused by the difference in the thickness of the stock. This is an important feature of my invention, as it is an automatic adjustment which I have found practically essential for the best operation of the machine. The working-faces of the jaws B B2 are the counterparts of the toe and heel of the shoe to be lasted,v

and when in operation cover those parts of the shoe, the upper surfaces of these jaws being then on a level with Vthe surface of the inner. sole, as will be clear from the diagrams Figs. 7, 8, and 9, which are sectional views showing the shoe when held by the jaws. The shank-jaws BB are faced with vulcanized rubber, 4, the upper surface ofthe rubber being also parallel with the shank part of the inner sole when on the last, and these rubber cushions -i are crowded upon the shank portions of the shoe to be lasted as the clamping-jaws move toward one another until the clampingjaws are held stationary by the resistance of the shoe between them; but as the crimpingjaws advance, the projections 5 on the crimping-jaws A press against the cushions 4, and thereby force the upper-leather close about the whole shank portion of theshoe. (See Fig. 8.) This feature of my invention-namely, the cushioned shank-j aws in combination with the rigid heel and toe-jaws-is a vital improvement on my former machine,in which all three jaws were rigid.

The back part or cone ofthe last rests upon .the top of post D, and the last is centered endwise by the curved recess in the heel-piecef on the end of the slide F. The forward part of the shoe rests upon the toe-rest G, whichis free to slide sidewise upon post G. Both posts D and G are adjustable endwise to bring IOO the shoe to the proper relation tothe jaws, and also toward and from each other for dill ferent lengths of shoe, said adjustments being preferably obtained, as shown in Fig. 3, where posts D and G' are shown with tangs which enter recesses in the sliding supports G2, the hollow portions of which are exteriorily lthreaded and provided with uutsy, which, when turned in one direction, engage shoulders y on the posts and so carry them upward. Supports Gr`Z slide in dovctailed ways (see Fig. 2) in the frame of the machine, and are preferably provided with clamps g, by means of which the sliding supports G2 are clamped in their ways. The heel-pieeef and slide F, while not essential, yet aid the operator. The toe-rest G- with a slight sliding motion is new with me.

'lo adjust for different sizes or lengthsl of shoes, the carriers a if are slid on the ends of levers A and held by the pins a", which pass through holes in one flange of the carriers and crimping-holes in the levers. The extra row ol' holes in the carrier u. (shown in Fig. 4) is for adjustment for box-toes. rlhiseombination of the carriers a a, with the levers A, and both the clamping and crimpingjaws, so that the heel and toe jaws may be adjusted for different lengths of shoes toward and from the shank-jaws, is also a feature of my invention, thedillerenee between my present combination and that shown in lny former patent bein g that there were no carriers for the crimping-jaws in my former patent.

Another important improvement over my former machine consists in the mechanism for giving motion to the jaws-that is, the right and left screw instead of the treadle-lever or windlass shown in my former patent. This screw is marked H, and controls the jaws by means of the nuts /l 71.', mounted in the levers A, as is best seen in Fig. 2. Instead of the levers, sliding carriages may be used, as will be obvious, but the levers are practically better. The nut h is of larger internal diameter than h for convenience in putting the machine together.

Another feature of my invention is an automatic stop mechanism in combination with the jaws, whereby the motion of the jaws at each extreme is caused to unshi p the d riving-pulley. VBoth pulleys J J are rotated constantly, but in opposite directions, so that the screw Il will be rotated in one direction when the cone J is in contact with pulley J, and in the opposite direction when it is in contact with the pulley J, and these pulleys J J are moved sidewise by the double lever J i, which is controlled by the rod j. This rod j has two adj ustable stops, j j", upon it, which act with the braeketj, which is fast to the lever A, so that when the lever is in the position shown in Fig. 2 the bracket j has forced stop j down far enough to move rod 7' and lever J" into position to free both pulleys J J from eene J2; but when lever A is at its other extreme (that is when the crimping-jaws A and A are nearly in contact with the opposite corresponding crimping-jaws) the bracket j will raiserod .y by contact with stop j, and thereby hold cone J2 out of contact with pulleys J J.

The operation is as follows: Thelast is placed in the upper,as in handlasting, the upper being drawn over the last at the toe with handpinchers and secured to the inner sole at the toe in the usual way. rl`he last with the upper thus arranged upon it is then placed in the machine with the cone of the last resting upon the part l) and the toe part of the last upon the toe-rest G, both of which are first properly adjusted. This brings thelast with the upper upon it between the clampingjaws B B Pf. The operator then presses his toe upon the pedal 7.1 of lever K, and thereby forces pulley J into contact with cone J, and the jaws ll ll Il move toward the last, the cushions of the shank-jaws B pressing the upper upon the last at the widest part of the shank of the last, and the toe and heel jaws ll ll Pf also pressing the upper close upon the last. The attendant uses the ordinary hand-pinchers to strain the upper around the last as soon as he perceives that the clampingjaws have got a sufficient hold of the last and upper, unshipping the frictionelutch when necessary in order to get time to do this.

One of the chief merits of my improved machine is that it presents the shoe to the workman and holds it to the best advantage for a rapid and effectual use of the hand-pinchers, and the clampingjaws instantly and perfectly hold the upper in pla-ce whenever it is strained by the hand-pinchers, and while this is in a measure true of my former machine, yet the operation of my present machine is in these respects so much more complete as to be praetically different, owing, mainly, to the fact that the shank-jaws are elastic cushions, but partly to the fact that the toe and heel jaws can yield lengthwise. \Vhen the upper is thus drawn close about and strained upon the last, (as will be understood by all skilled 1asters,) the machine is again started and the crimping-jaws force the upper over the corner of the inner sole and close down upon the inner sole, but yet leave the edges of the upper free to be hammered, tacked, and trimmed, or otherwise prepared to receive the filling and outer sole.

Vhat I claim as my invention is- IOO 1. In a lasting-machine, the combination of the crimping-jaws A A A and their carriers a a a, the crimping-jaws and their carriers being held together by dovetailed ribs in one and dovctailed grooves in the other, and a rod, a", through the dovetailed ribs and grooves, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In combination, clamping-jaws B B B2, carriers I) b Il, and carriers (t a a, the carriers b b bL being mounted upon springs which allow the carriers a a e" to move toward the last after the elamping'jaws have engaged the upper on the last, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The clamping-jaw herein described, composed of parts l and 2, and a spring, 3, interposed between the parts l and 2, the part 1 sliding on part 2, all arranged and operating so that -the jaw may yield slightly endwise, substantially as described.

.4. The cushioned shank-jaw B, in combination with the n0ncushioned toe and heel jaws B B2, substantially as described.

5. The cushioned shank-jaw B, in combination with the crimping shank-jaw A and the projection 5, whereby the cushion 4 is forced against the upper, not only by the forward motion of the shank-jaw, but also by the motion' of the crimping-jaw over the shank-jaw, sub-A stantially as described.

6. In alasting-machine, the combination of toe-rest G and its post G', toe-rest G being movable sidewise on post Gv', substantially as described. l

7. In combination, levers A, carriers a a a?, 2o crimping-jaws A A A'J'and clamping-jaws B B B2, the carriers a a being adjustable in the levers As toward and from the carriers a, and both sets of jaws A A2 and B B2 being adjusted by adjusting the carriers, substantially as described.

8. The crimping-jaws A A Az and clamping-jawsB B B2, mounted on levers A3, in combination with the right and left screw II, substantially as described.

9. In combination, clamping and crimping jaws, levers A, bracket j, stopsjj'z, with the clutch mechanism and its rod, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

M. B. ETHRIDGE.

NVitnesses:

J. E. MAYNADIER, MARTIN V. B. E'rmunc'n. 

